The 5 Best VPNs for Gaming

PC gaming is becoming widely accepted in the gaming community. Although console gaming is still massive, many people are going over to PC because of the power and performance that present. However, as with all gaming, you are most likely going to be playing online. This is true when you’re playing an online shooter and are in a lobby with 30 other real human beings. However, as you’re playing online, you should be protecting account as well as your identity.

When you’re playing an online game, you can be hacked or intercepted at any moment, which can ruin your experience and put you at risk. When gaming, your ISP could throttle your connection at any moment if they feel you’re using too much bandwidth, so having a way around this is very important. With a VPN, you can bypass your ISP and give yourself more benefits when you’re playing online.

The Top 5 VPNs for Gaming

In this article, we will be discussing the best VPNs for online gaming. These will be focusing on speed and location as these tend to be the larger factors when considering a VPN for gaming, as you will see later. Out of all the VPNs in the world, we have selected 5. You can read about them below.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is one of the best VPN service available on the internet. It has made it to the top of many of our lists before and it has made the top of this one. ExpressVPN has some of the fastest connection speeds when it comes to VPNs and also has a number of advanced security protocols, keeping you safe when you’re gaming. Because they are also a larger service, they have a huge server network in over 90 different countries. So if unblocking games is your thing, this VPN is definitely for you.

In terms of connections and devices, ExpressVPN works very smoothly on all devices, including Windows, Mac, Android, and IOS. In addition, you can also install ExpressVPN on your router which will let you allow you to play safely on your laptop and gaming console. In further reference to security, ExpressVPN is based in the Virgin Islands, so you are safe from the NSA and their privacy laws.

ExpressVPN does happen to be one of the more expensive services online but it is totally worth it. You get a lot when you sign up for this service and it is one of the best services if you like to play games online.

CyberGhost

When I first tested CyberGhost, I loved it. They offer both a free and paid version of their service and, as always, we suggest you opt-in for their premium packages. CyberGhost is well-known in the VPN industry for being incredibly fast and great for streaming. Because of this, it would be no surprise that they’d be a great service to use for gaming. They offer 800 server locations and work with multiple devices, including Windows and Mac.

As for protocols, they offer tough 256-bit encryptions with OpenVPN protocols. They have been criticized for their handshaking techniques but CyberGhost has offer reassurance. The company itself is based in Romania and has been developed in Germany. They are active members and promoters of civil rights, including anonymity, so it seems just to put your faith in this VPN if you plan on gaming online.

Buffered

Buffered is another VPN that commonly makes the top 5 lists and for good reasons too. The VPN is very popular because of its many features and incredibly fast connection speeds. You are likely to see this VPN features on speed guides and streaming guides because it is so good when it comes to the transfer of data over an online connection. This makes this VPN perfect for high-resolution gaming and you’re unlikely to see any dips in quality.

As well as speeds, Buffered also is available in 39 different countries, giving it a fairly wide global reach. Although this might not be the greatest on this list, it is still worth noting. The company itself is based on Hungary which also gives this VPN an extra level of security, as this nation is outside the Five Eyes privacy and data retention laws. On a quick note about their security, Buffered also offers OpenVPN with 256-bit encryptions, keeping you perfectly security over a wireless network.

Although Buffered is a smaller company, they are heavily recommended for their speeds and quality. With a 30-day money back guarantee available, you should definitely give this VPN a spin when gaming.

VyprVPN

VyprVPN is a huge VPN service that is owned by the huge conglomerate – Golden Frog. The one unique feature about this VPN and the reason why it is featured on this list is that of its manually managed server network. It is very rare that you’ll find a service that personally manages all their own servers because it takes a lot of man-hours and money. The benefit to this is that the servers can be tweaked and optimized for incredible speeds, which is exactly what Vypr offers.

These speeds make gaming a joy and also help if you want to stream some movies. As well as speeds, however, Vypr also excels in security and global reach. The company owns hundreds of servers in 70 different countries. They also use 256-bit AES encryptions along with OpenVPN. It is safe to say that this VPN is perfect for the majority of tasks.

The only real issue with their service is the price. However, I can’t really complain because they manage their whole network with not third-party interference. Because of this feature, I will happily put my money into their service.

NordVPN

NordVPN is one of my ultimate favorites when it comes to VPN services. They offer a number of features and are well-known for their tough encryptions and unique security features, including Tor over VPN and double encryption. As well as security, they also have a huge range of servers, spanning over 58 different countries. These servers are optimized for different services, including torrenting and streaming.

Because their servers are optimized for speed, they are also a decent VPN to try out if you’re on the gaming scene. They do offer great speeds and we had no issue when testing it. However, some users have found that certain servers dropped their connection, so to be extra cautious, make sure you’re saving your games as you go along. Faulty connections can cause a lot of rage quits.

NordVPN has recently upgraded its client and it is now looking very snazzy. If you’re looking to bulk up your security and game in peace, I would definitely try NordVPN.

What Should You Consider When Looking for a Gaming VPN?

So there you have it, the 5 best VPNs for gaming. Although they are listed in order of our favorite, it can sometimes be difficult to choose a VPN, especially if you’re a beginner. To help the newcomers along, we have listed a few considerations to make when you’re selecting a VPN.

Just to put it out there, most of the VPNs listed already have these qualities, so you won’t have to do a lot of research.

Speed

Speed is a crucial element when it comes to gaming and the last thing you want is to be slowed down. That is why, when looking for a gaming VPN, you need to identify the download and upload speeds. These will tell you whether the VPN is going to perform on your desired servers and location. We review the speeds in our individuals VPN reviews, so if you have any doubt you should definitely give those a read.

As well as speed, connection sustainability, in general, is always a factor to consider. You don’t want the connection dropping every few minutes as this can get incredibly frustrating. Make sure to choose a VPN that is consistent with their network and one that has a high uptime rate.

Server Locations

As well as speeds, having a decent number of locations to use is also of use when searching for a gaming VPN. This is especially true if you live in a country that is known to ban certain games. In some countries (Iran), they will ban the simplest and best of games, including Battlefield 3. If you want to play these games you will need to be connected to a server in a country that allows it, so having a wider selection is always beneficial

Encryption

If you like to play from a laptop or annoy fellow gamers regularly, you will want to have a tough encryption surrounding your gaming connections. With the laptop situation specifically, you will want to make sure that no one can access your connection on public Wi-Fi, as they could spy on your data and even implement a virus. With the annoying gamer situation, some users have hacked their opponents in a moment of revenge, stealing account details and sometimes more. With a VPN, all this is not possible and you’re protected by a wall of encryption.

Getting Games Early with VPNs

Something that I really like about using VPNs for gaming is that you can get access to certain games before they’re globally released. I live in the UK, so we usually receive new games a day later than the US. With a VPN, I can spoof my location into thinking I am in the States. By doing so, I am able to access certain games that my fellow English gamers are unable to access. So if you enjoy gaming and don’t want to wait a few extra days, get yourself a VPN and download the games early. This is definitely ones of the cooler features.

Conclusion

When you’re gaming online, it is important to make sure you’re protected. There are a lot of malicious individuals on the internet and you can never be too careful. We have selected the 5 best VPNs on the internet that you can use when you’re gaming. They will not slow you down, they offer a range of locations and all of them offer security encryptions. As well as security and speeds, you can also use VPNs to get access to games early and even unlock games blocked in your native country. Unlock the gaming side of the internet today and buy a VPN. You won’t regret it.